Petrary: Difference between revisions
m Reverted edits by 69.200.228.170 (talk) to last revision by Nick Michael (HG) |
approve removal of large paragraphs recently added; primary sources and other are necessary to categorize trebuckets (trebuchets) as 'perrarries' or petraries--in traditional scholarship distinction is made; question added to that effect. |
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Petraries can be either gravity operated, where a large [[counterweight]] drops to propel the missile, or tension operated, where the throwing arm is pulled back against twisted rope or animal [[sinew]], which then provides the power when released. |
Petraries can be either gravity operated, where a large [[counterweight]] drops to propel the missile, or tension operated, where the throwing arm is pulled back against twisted rope or animal [[sinew]], which then provides the power when released. |
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[[Catapult]], [[trebuchet]], [[mangonel]] are all types of petrary, but [[ballista]] style armaments, which shot bolts or arrows, would not fit into this category. |
[[Catapult]], [[trebuchet]] (trebuckets are similar in general nature; whether they were considered to constitute petraries per se, is...constested), [[mangonel]] are all types of petrary, but [[ballista]] style armaments, which shot bolts or arrows, would not fit into this category. |
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Revision as of 12:58, 21 December 2015
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Petrary is a generic term for a medieval stone-throwing siege engine (from the Greek "petra", "stone"), used to hurl large rocks against the walls of the besieged city, in an attempt to break down the wall and create an entry point.
Petraries can be either gravity operated, where a large counterweight drops to propel the missile, or tension operated, where the throwing arm is pulled back against twisted rope or animal sinew, which then provides the power when released.
Catapult, trebuchet (trebuckets are similar in general nature; whether they were considered to constitute petraries per se, is...constested), mangonel are all types of petrary, but ballista style armaments, which shot bolts or arrows, would not fit into this category.
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